ON THE HACKNEY AND HUNTER. 195 



A horfe may be good with a large head, 

 provided it (hews fymmetry, is joined to the 

 neck with a curve, or is wide enough in the 

 upper part of the jaw-bones, to admit of being 

 pulled in, without impeding refpiration ; other- 

 wife, a heavy, fat head, forebodes dulnefs and 

 diftemper, particularly of the eyes. A long 

 head occafions the horfe to bear heavy upon 

 the hand (however good his mouth may be) as 

 foon as his flow of fpirits is over. A head too 

 (hort (as St. Bel obferves) detracts from the 

 equipoife of the body ; it certainly detracts 

 from the idea of proportion, as well as a too 

 long one ; and without alledging any particular 

 inconveniences belonging to it, I think we fel- 

 dom fee a capital horfe with a very (hort 

 head. 



The eye fhould be viewed in a good light, 

 or rather in the fun-fhine, the examiner (land- 

 ing in the (hade. It ought to be bright and 

 tranfparent, as it were, to the bottom, and free 

 from haze, dulnefs, or cloud. The dull, or 

 coal-black eye, or that encircled with a blue 

 cloud, are precarious. As to external confor- 

 mation, the eye fhould be fomewhat prominent, 

 without being too full and large ; the large 

 glaffy eye, is always fufpicious ; as is alfo the 

 fmall pig-eye. Thick, moift eye-lids denote a 

 flux of humours. It is eafy to diftinguifh exter- 

 nal accidents, of the probable danger of which, 

 it appertains to experience to determine. 



02 It 



